Big plates, small tables

Ideally, restaurants make sure their servingware works with the size of the table.

My blog yesterday about chefs removing salt from the table, brought up an interesting question about another hot-button topic: table size.

“I wonder if some restaurants are doing this in an attempt to free up some real estate on the table. It seems more and more common to be at a table that feels too cramped for plates, glasses, cutlery, bread basket, etc. That’s especially true at small plates restaurants, where you’re constantly shifting things around to make space.”

I think table size is an issue — and an annoyance — at many places. I’ve seen a trend over the last decade for tables to shrink and seating to be more uncomfortable. Cynics may say it’s an attempt by the restaurants to get people in and out the door, but in most cases it’s more accurately a reflection of space allocation and architecture. One more table filled at night can add thousands to the bottom line of a restaurant, so the owners are always trying always to juggle comfort with economics.

However, even in the same restaurant, not all tables are created equal. Just last week, for example, I was seated at a small table that was barely big enough to hold the food, yet I saw empty two-tops around me that were larger. These smaller tables are generally in out-of-the-way locations near the kitchen or a service hall.

If these were in an auditorium, they would be half priced. I’m sure there will never be “preferred seating” charges, so the question becomes how those tables are doled out. That’s a whole other issue that takes us off topic.

I understand that seating is crucial to profitability. And in some of the tiny spaces we have in San Francisco, space is truly at a premium.

However, given this limitation, chefs need to make the food go with the reality of the seating. They need to look at what they’re serving — and what they’re serving it on — and adjust accordingly. Large plates and small tables don’t cut it; neither do a plethora of small plates at a small table.